FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2014
CONTACTS:
Lindsay Zizumbo
CMV Executive Director
Ric Cantrell
Senate Chief of Staff
Spencer Nitz
House Majority Communications Director
Joint Statement from Count My Vote and Utah Legislators
SALT LAKE CITY - Tonight, leaders in the Utah Legislature and Count My Vote issued the following statement:
For several weeks, the Utah Legislature and Count My Vote have been negotiating toward a common goal: greater citizen participation. The discussions have been productive. We have reached an agreement on landmark election reforms that promise to improve citizen engagement in Utah's electoral process.
The agreed-upon reform language will be written as 2nd Substitute Senate Bill 54, sponsored by Sen. Curt Bramble and Rep. Dan McCay. The new legislation will preserve Utah’s caucus-convention system and provide a direct primary alternative based on gathering a threshold of voter signatures. Such a dual system exists in some form in five other states and provides the voting public with the best features of both systems. 2nd Substitute SB 54 will also open primary elections to non-affiliated voters.
Leaders in the Utah House and Senate have announced their intent to act on the legislation this week. Count My Vote will continue gathering signatures until the bill is passed and signed by the governor.
These historic election reforms will be shared in more detail at a joint news conference tomorrow, March 2, 2014, at 4:30 p.m. in the Capitol Presentation Room, located in the Visitor’s Center on the first floor.
The news conference will be live-streamed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZODQklZraoA .
